SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning after facing an early deficit before holding off visiting Pacific for an 11-9 win in the series finale on Sunday at Merkel Field, clinching a berth in the NWC Tournament with the victory.
No. 10 Whitworth (23-7, 15-6 Northwest Conference), the champion of the inaugural NWC Tournament in 2015, will appear in the four-team playoff for the second consecutive season. The Pirates claimed the series win with Sunday's victory after splitting a doubleheader against Pacific (20-13, 12-9 NWC) on Saturday.
Matthew Nelson gave Whitworth a 1-0 lead with his sixth home run of the season in the first inning but Pacific bounced back to score five runs in the top of the third inning.
The Boxers totaled four consecutive hits with two outs in the third, highlighted by a three-run home run from Joey Galeno to grab a 5-1 advantage. An error early in the inning helped extend the frame, as all five of the runs that scored were unearned.
Whitworth cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third inning when Jeremy Druffel sent his team-leading seventh home run of the season over the wall in left field. But it was the fifth inning when Whitworth found its offensive groove, producing six hits to take a 9-5 lead.
Nate Lamberty's leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth set the tone and Daniel Casanova followed with a one-out RBI triple to the gap in left-center field. Later in the inning, Nelson produced a two-RBI double down the right-field line to tie the game and chase Pacific starter Kyler Knieriem.
Pacific reliever Spencer Backstrom induced a groundout to retire Jordan McGowan before Whitworth rallied for four more runs with two outs. Ryan Bird drove in Nelson with a single and later scored with another two-out single by Joel Condreay. Tyler Bailey punctuated the inning with a two-run home run, his first as a Pirate, before the Boxers could end the frame.
The Pirates extended the lead to 11-5 in the seventh, totaling three hits along with a hit by pitch in the inning. Condreay had a sacrifice fly for the Pirates and Garrett Hughes delivered a two-out RBI double for the 11-5 lead.
Galeno drove in his fourth run of the game in the eighth inning with a double to bring Pacific within 11-6, prior to a ninth-inning rally by the Boxers that saw the potential go-ahead run come to the plate.
Back-to-back doubles with two outs by Kurtis Kloke and Dylan Wright brought home three runs in the top of the ninth, closing the deficit to 11-9. JD Page, who had been effective in relief since the sixth inning, was replaced by Kelly Fitzpatrick after the second RBI double. Fitzpatrick hit the first batter he faced with a pitch to put the tying run on first base before recording a strikeout to end the game.
T.J. Orchard started and improved to 5-1, allowing five unearned runs on seven hits. Page tossed 3 ⅔ innings of relief, allowing four runs on six hits. Fitzpatrick entered the game to record the final out and pick up his second save of the season.
Knieriem (4-1) suffered his first defeat of the season, allowing six runs on seven hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Backstrom allowed five runs in 2 ⅓ innings of relief.
Five Pirates produced two hits in the game. Nelson went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored to help lead Whitworth.
Kloke finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Boxers.
Heading into the final weekend of the conference schedule, the NWC-leading Pirates hold a two-game lead over George Fox (13-8) and Pacific Lutheran (13-8) in the standings. The top four teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will compose the field for the NWC Tournament, to be held at the school location of the regular season conference champion. The tournament champion receives the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
Whitworth will play its final NWC series next weekend at Willamette on Saturday and Sunday. The teams will play a doubleheader at noon Saturday and conclude the series with a single game on Sunday at noon.
